Retort-bottom-bending device



E. v. QUINN AND- D. GAL'LUP. RETORT BOTTOM BENDING DEVICE. .APPLICATION FILED IULY I,`I92I.`

- Patented June 27,1922.

Aui'ra Tag omer..

VAN v. 'QUiNN .ann DELBERT GALLii, or O'LAN, W Storm.

REroRT-Borroivr-BING Envidia To afZZ fro/71.017@ t may concern.'

, Be it known that we, EvAN V. QUINN and Dei-renier GALLUP, residing at Olean', county ofV Cattaraugus, State of New York, both citizens of the TJnited States, have invented certain` new and useful Improvements in Retort-Bottom-Bending Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The bottoms of retorts used in the de structive distillation of wood are flat and of sheet steel with the side edges slightly roundedup so as vto form concavo-convex `fhiiiges and are oblong as such a retort of standard size is feet long and 7 feet wide. The bottom supports a pair.. of rails usually of standard gage upon which iron trucks loaded with wood are run, and the retort being. sealed, heat is applied to the bottom. The steel bottom is softened by .the heat especially when the retort is overiired. As a result the great weight of the trucks and their loads causes the Vbottom of the retort to sag. Such sagging narrows the gage of the rails and also draws in the opposite sides of the retort and reduces the clearance between the sides of the truck and the retort so that great damage results. Prior to oui' invention, the pi'actice has been to place a jack beneath the retort and thereby force the bottom upward, but such a procedure is objectionable first, because the arch usually employed beneath the retort must be torn out, and second, it does not effect the restoration of the retort sides to normal position. The object of our invention is to provide means for restoring the retort bottom and sides to normal position and which will ren der unnecessary any disturbance of the usual arches beneath the retorts.

In the annexed drawings;

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a retort f illustrating the application of our invention thereto, some of the parts being shown in elevation, the parts being in the position they occupy before the normal condition of the retort bottomA and sides has been restored.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the jack.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the connection between the yoke and the spider.

At a suitable distance apart, lengthwise of the retort, say, by way of illustration, two feet, two holes, 10, are drilled through the retort bottom, 11, where sagging has oc.- curred, through which, respectively, are passed two rods, 12, which also pass loosely Specification of Lttefsiateiit. Application inea :mij 1, 1921. sei-iai no. einer undugh heiss, ie, in an-tblonggpiaf or spider,'14, on the under side of the retort bottom, and loosely through holes', 15, in a yoke, 16, above the retort-bottom, and so within the retort. Encircling the portion of the rod, 12, below the spider is a washer, 17, and extending into the washer hele around .the rod is a split 'orrtwo' part corre, 18, the split being on a diametral line, and on each half, or section, on its interior is a` rib or tongue, 19, that enters an annular groove, 20,111 the rod, so that when thec'oi'ie is kdrawn into the washer and the latter pressed against the underside of the spider, the rods and spider are securely held together so that upward pull exertedthrofugh the rods will pull the spider, and the adjacent portion of the retort bottom, upward.rv Yet, assembly and' removal may be quickly andea'sily acm coinplished, it being necessary' simply to vdrop the rodfar.'eii'ough to .free thereon@ .Y

'from the washer to' permit the cone' to b'e applied'to or removed from the rod.

. Preferably, the upper portion of each rod is threaded, and above the yoke a nut, 21, is screwed on the rod, a washer, 22, being interposed between the nut and the top side of the voke.

At the center, or midway between the two rods, the yoke has a hole through which passes a heavy rod, 23, that has `a head, 24, on its lower end that bears against the yoke bottom. The upper portion of the rod 23, is threaded, and upon it is placed a heavy nut, 24', so supported during operation of the device, (as hereafter explained), as to cause, when rotated in one direction, the upward movement of the bolt, and with it the yoke spideiyand sagged retort bottom. For revolving the nut, 24, it has beveled gear teeth, 25, cut upon its exterior with which mesh one or more, preferably two, diametrically opposite bevel pinions, Q16, fixed each to a radially extending shaft, 27, journaled in a thrust block or header, 28, lying between the nut and the spider and, of course, perforated for the passage of the bolt, 23. The projecting outer portion of the shaft, 27, is squared to receive a ratchet wheel, 28 for engagementby a pawl, 29, on a lever, 30, mounted to rock freely on the shaft to revolve the ratchet wheel and thereby rotate the bevel pinion.

1ivoted to the thrust block and extending downward and outward therefrom on each side is an arm, 31, which at the lower end is soV attached at midlength to an elongated shoe, 82, that is adapted to engage the retort bottom at its side and thus exert a downward and outward pressure thereat simultaneously with the upward pull on the retort bottom at its transverse center. Near each end the shoe is engaged by one end of a strut or brace bar, 33, that extends obliquely from the shoe to the side of the pressure-arm, 31,

.near its upper end. Preferably, the struts are longitudinally adjustable, as by means of a turn buckle, 34, on each.

While we claim our mechanism speciically in connection with retort ovens, we also comtemplate the embodiment and application of our invention in such other relations as may present like conditions or others that will call for like application oi force.

1What we claim is:

l. The combination of a spider, a yoke, rods joining spider and yoke at separated points, a pull rod connected with the yoke, a pressure block through which the rod passes, means to exert pressure on said block simultaneously with a pull on said rod, and oppositely situated, diverging thrust members.

2. The combination of a spider, a yoke, rodsjoining spider and yoke at separated points, a pull rod connected with the yoke, a pressure block through which the rod passes, means to exert pressure on said block simultaneously with a pull of said rod, and oppositely situated, diverging' thrust members, each comprising an elongated shoe and diverging struts reaching to the ends of the shoe. l

3. The combination of a spider, a yoke, alining holes being provided in the spider and yoke, a rod passing through each set' of alining holes, a washer on each rod engaging the outer side of the spider, a split cone on the rod entering the washer hole, the cone sections and rod having interlocking engagement, means on each rod engag the outer side of the yoke, and pull and thrust members operatively connected with the yoke.

4. bis a means for returning retort oven members to normal positions, an elongated bearing member to engage the underside of the retort bottom, diverging thrust members to engage the top of the bottom towards opposite sides, and means within the retort that simultaneously exert an upward pull on said bearing member and a downward and outward thrust on said thrust members.

lin testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

EVAN V. QUINN. DELBERT GALLUP. 

